Means for operating and controlling railway points, signals, barriers, and the like



. A. E. SHEREMETEFF HEARS FOR OPERATING AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS. SIGNALS, BARRIERS, AND THE LIKE Filed May 22. 1923 Fig.1.

Patented Feb. 2-3, 1926.

name stares PATENT @FFIQE.

ALEKCEI EVGrENEVITCI-I SHEREMETEFF, OF OSNABRUCK, GERMANY.

MEANS FOR OPERATING AN D CONTRQLLIL'G RAILWAY POINTS, SIGNALS, BARRIERS, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 22, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEKCEI EvGnNnvrrcI-I tie Federal Soviet Republic, residing at Hotel Schaumburg, Osnabruck, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Means for Operating and Controlling Railway Points, Signals, Barriers, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the means for operating and controlling railway points, signals, barriers, and the like.

The power for operating or controlling railway points and the like from a distance has hitherto been taken from a power station or accumulator where power is produced or stored by means separate from the points, members or the like to be operated. In accordance with the present invention the power for operating the points, signals or the like is produced by the trains that travel over or past the point or mechanism to be operated. To this end a power receiving member (such as a ramp or shoe) or members is (or are) provided which is (or are) operated directly by the wheels of a railway vehicle and adapted to transfer power from the vehicle to a power accumulator positioned near the operated member. Means are also provided for controlling from a distance the power stored in the accumulator so as to cause it to efiect any desired point setting, signaling, or barrier actuating operation or the like.

The unequal shocks or impulses, to which the power receiving ramp is subjected when passed over by the wheels of a train are caused to tension an elastic medium such as a spring which, when it is untensioned, yields up its energy to a power accumulator.

Another feature of the invention consists in a motion transferring member which is locked against return movement and, in its forward movement, transfers the motions, due to the power impulses produced by passing trains, to a driving pulley, which latter raises a weight by means of anendless flexible member (such as a chain) or a difi'erential gear.

Due to this locking of motion transferring member the ramp automatically drops as soon as the accumulator is charged.

Still another feature of the invention com- 7 prises. means by. which the power stored Serial No. 640,634.

by raising a weight is used for actuating a crank drive whose speed of operation is regulated by a suitable brake mechanism or damping device.

lVith these general statements of the ob ject and purposes of my invention I will now proceed to describe the embodiment thereof and the manner in which my invention is carried out, and it will be understood that while I have described what may be considered as a prefe able embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the precise conditions and arrangements herein set forth, as they may be varied by those skilled in the art in accordance with the particular purposes for which they are intended, and the conditions under which they are to be utilized.

The invention is shown by way of example in the drawing applied to a mechanically operated and electrically controlled point setting device of a railway system.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing one rail and the operating mechanism, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view, partly in plan and partly in elevation, showing the operating mechanism.

In the drawing a is a ramp extending along the outside edge of a rail. The top surface of the ramp is slightly higher than the head of the rail so that it is depressed by each wheel that runs over it. The ramp is pressed upward through levers and a rod (Z by means of a pressure spring I) which is compressed whenever a wheel runs over the ramp. The ramp, which is depressed by each wheel to an extent which equals the amount of its elevation above the head of the rail, is returned by the spring 6 to its normal position the moment the wheel has passed overit, the extent of upwa rd morement of the ramp being limited by two suit able stops.

Ateach. restoration of the ramp to its raised or normal position, the energy im parted to the spring in. compressing it is transferred to a power storing device or accumulator. The means for transferring the power from the ramp to the power accumulator consists of a movable pawl o 01 the like adapted to be moved by the power transferring rod (2. When the spring I) is compressed the pawl a is non-operative, but whenthe spring I) is untensioned the pawl c rotates a ratchet driving wheel 6. Each till .- operating the time the ran'ip a is released after fbeing'depressed by a wheel, the pawl, 0 turns the drivingpulley a through an equal angular distance. 7

Attached to the driving pulley e is an endless chain which passes round a driving pulley 6 so as to form a loop is, and around a second vpulley so as to form a second loop Z. The chain also passes around an opera ting pulley ft. The two loops l and Z0 are tensioned by weights on and n, on, serving to pulljdown the loop Z when the weight it is raised by means of the driving pulley 6 The operating vpulley h is locked. in its normal position by an electromagnetically controlled detent s so that the section of chain which passes round the pulley .h is

held immovable during the shortening of the loop 72 and the simultaneous vlengthening otthe loop Z due to the operation of the pawl c, ,by l which the driving pulley e is rotated in the direction ol the. arrow shown thereon.

, Itwill thus be seen thatfithe winding up of the point-moving or operating weight n is not effected by the sudden shocks or depressions of the ramp at, but bythe. untensioning of the spring Z2 thatis compressed at each depression of the ramp. Hence the forward motions of the pawl 0 due tot tensionings of the spring 7) are uniform or V rhythmical.

I The gravity stored'in the raised operating weight a 7 points, signals or the like;

'1 he dropping driving. pulley e and the electromagnetic detent' s of the operating pulley h. It isby the pulley it that the positions of the points, signals and the like are changed. as required.

- Qombined with the pulley it is a crank 2' which is turned clockwise or always in the same direction through an angle of 180'? at each. point set-ting operation and thus osc1l lates'the ")oint actuatin levers and rods.

' These turning nioveinents of the disk h are controlled by the detent s projec tions or stops 1", 1' which are displayed by 180 w th respect to each other on the cir- ;cumtercncc ot the pulley The pull eX- crted on the loop by the operating w ight n tends to rotate the operating pulley h clockw se, but 111 thepos t on of thepart shown in. the drawin the pulley 72, is locked rotation by the pro ectionr stri' C) When the latter is released by an electromagnet so that its lower end moves out of the pathot the proi st eiir, 35 1 1 615 rs atssblo' kwi .im v th other inmisst e 1? ike a a ns t deer w ich ,by t t w rs'b' against the detent s.

ne unis the energy available for of the weight n is normally prevented by the llOlCllllg pawl ,g of the the pointisetting rods candlevers have also executed corresponding movements by which the point has been moved from its normal into its reversed position, that is the position in which it lies close to the main rail. During these point closing operations the section of the chain coiled round the driving pulley e is kept fixed by the detent g and the length of chain that travels over pulley h and its associated crank i.

"The speed of revolution of the crank 71 set up by the sudden operation of the weight a is clamped or regulatedfby a liquid or air bra-keg. which is linked to the pulley h in i such a way that a retarding action of similar character is exerted during each half turn ot'the crank. This retarding effect is greatest at the commencement and conclusion of each half turn or" the crank, but is considerably smaller at the middle of each half turn, when it is desirable to allow the driving weight to exert its full force.

' A spring coupling 29 is connected in the point moving rod, this coupling being adapted to compensate torsmall changes of length due to fluctuations of temperature. The elastic coupling will thus always pull the point into close contact with the main rail: A coupling which yields sutliciently to allowthe closed point to be swung away from the main rail the -action of a wheel flange passing between the main'rail and the point, but'which does not yield whenthe point is closed by the point operating mechanism, may also be connected in the point operating rod.

"As the driving weight cannot be raised indefinitely it may reach its highest point before all the wheels of the train have passed over the ramp. The first wheel that passes overtjhe ramp after the weight n has been raised to its highest position will compi ess'the spring 'b and swing back the pawl i ffb t the pulley 6 will now remain fixed so as tolieep the pawl back and prevent the untensioning of 'the coni'pressed spring 6.

Hence the ramp 0; will remain depressed so that the remaining wheels of thetrain exert no ,etiect thejranip and" associate 'l mechanism.

Y e 1?? wil .iass lin t aiilic .acc uinulatorf the ratchet and paw jl he a t i l; Mam

rsvasve ting elements are replaced by an air pump or liquid pump which forces air r liquid into a suitable container when the spring I) compressed by means of the ramp is untensioned. The compressed air or liquid in the container may even be used to operate several pneumatic or hydraulic devices con trolled from a distance by means of electromagnetic controlling gear.

I claim 1. In combination with a railtrack of a vehicle, a power accumulator consisting of a suspended weight, a power receiving member extending along a rail and arranged to be subjected to the direct impact-action of a .wheel' of a passing vehicle, a spring interposed between said power receiving member and said power accumulator for absorbing the impact-action of a wheel imparted upon said power receiving member and permitting the charging of said accumulator by the energy of the said spring only, and

' 'means for controlling from a distance the power stored in the accumulator.

2. In combination with a railtrack ot' a vehicle, a power accun'iulator, a power receiving member, a spring, a motion trans ferring means, a locking member arranged to be controlled by the said motion transferring means and tree to automatically resist the restoration of said power receiv- 1ng member when the accumulator 1s fully charged, and means for controlling from a distance the power stored in the accumulator.

3. In combination with a railtrack of a vehicle, a power accumulator, a power re ceiving member, a spring connected at oneend with the said power receiving member having the other end fixed to an immovable body, a motion transferring means connected with the movable end of said spring, a locking member for keeping the accumulator non-operative within the duration of an impact-action of a passing wheel and for allowing the said accumulator to become receptive for a charge synchronously with the raising motion of said power receiving member, and electrical means for controlling from a distance the power stored in the said accumulator.

4. In combination with a railtrack of a vehicle, a ramp depressible by the wheels of a vehicle, a spring, a member connected to the ramp for tensioning the said spring, a pulley, a weight raisable by the said pulley, a member for rotating the pulley when the spring is untensioned, a point, a flexible member pulled by the said weight, a second pulley rotatable by the said weight, a crank connected to the second pulley for moving the said point, and means for controlling from a distance the action of the said crank on the said point.

5. In combination with a railtrack of a vehicle, a ramp deprcssible by the wheels of a vehicle, a spring, a member connected to the ramp for tensioning the said spring, a pulley, a weight raisable by the said pulley, a member for rotating the pulley when the spring is untensioned, a point, a flexible member pulled by the said weight, a second pulley rotatable by the said weight, a crank connected to the second pulley for moving the said point, means for controlling from a distance the action of the said crank on the. said point, and a retarding device for damping the movements of the said crank.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ALEKCEI EVGENEVITCH SHEREMETE FF. 

